


Side-Effects

by wayfareangel



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drug Use, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Medical, Romance, Slow Build, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-01-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:22:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5783506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wayfareangel/pseuds/wayfareangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A cholera outbreak forces Hancock to request help from an old friend of Dr. Amari's who is determined to save the people of Goodneighbor, whether they like it or not. This fic takes a lighthearted tone with the rare heavy moment, and far too much silliness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Side-Effects

“Cholera.”

 

It was a simple response to a disturbing question, one that Hancock had asked Dr. Amari less than a day ago. The events leading up to it had been sudden, shocking even. A member of the Neighborhood Watch had been breaking up a fight when suddenly he’d gone pale, and collapsed. The details of what came next were… unpleasant, even by Goodneighbor standards. The man was dead by nightfall.

 

“What killed him?” Was the question Hancock had asked Dr. Amari, and he was not liking the answer.

 

“What we appear to be dealing with is an extremely virulent and fast acting strain of the disease.” Dr. Amari explained. “Normally it does not kill so quickly, especially when treatment is immediately provided. In this case, however--”

 

“Gone by sundown.” Hancock muttered, drumming fingers on his knee as he considered their options. Goodneighbor was small. One decent outbreak of any sort of disease may wipe them off the map. “We got what we need to take care of this?”

 

Amari pursed her lips, it was a contemplative expression Hancock did not like. “I believe that with proper measures I can manage the cases we encounter. However, I am not sure how long that will be sufficient.” She said at last.

 

Hancock snorted. “Well shit.” He said, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Literal shit. They were going to be up to their ankles in shit, and it was going to be killing everyone. “Any good news?”

 

“Actually,”

 

Hancock looked up at Amari from his spot on his battered old couch in the Statehouse. He had not actually been expecting good news.

 

“I know of a specialist. We met once some years before, and have been corresponding since then. She’s an epidemiologist with something of a personal vendetta against Cholera.” Amari explained, but she sounded hesitant. It wasn’t something most people would pick up on, but Hancock knew his people, and could read them like they were open books.

 

“So what, she crazy or something? She going to hold out for all the caps we got before she’ll help us?” There was always a catch; some horrible price needed to be paid before anything decent could happen, especially out in the Wasteland.

 

Hancock was understandably surprised when Amari raised her hands and shook her head.

 

“Oh, no!” Amari said quickly. “Nothing of the sort, in fact Dr. Kinsey would be quite… insulted if we were to imply such a thing. Her services come for free.”

 

The look Hancock gave Amari was one of deadpan disbelief. “Bullshit. You’re telling me there’s someone out there with extremely specialized and in demand skills, and they’re just giving it away for free? I’ll believe it when I see it.”

 

“I am willing to admit that Dr. Kinsey is certainly unconventional, but I’ve seen the results of her work myself.”Amari explained to the disbelieving mayor. “She’s been traveling the country for some time now establishing clinics and training people to handle the disease. She doesn’t leave until she is completely certain a settlement can fend for itself against cholera.”

 

Hancock leaned back, pressing his gnarled hands to his eyes. He could feel a headache brewing. When they were done here, he was going to find some Med-X and float a bit while he considered things. “Call her in. Not like I got any better ideas.”

 

“Excellent. With any luck I can get a message to Dr. Kinsey via shortwave radio. Though I should mention, an afterthought, really...” Amari trailed off. Hancock looked at the doctor, highly aware she was choosing her words very carefully. “Dr. Kinsey may be, just a little bit, hard to deal with.”

 

Hancock almost breathed a sigh of relief. He knew there had to be something wrong with this miracle doctor. “I’m sure we can put up with some grizzled old battle axe if it means we don’t drown in our own shit.”

 

“Yes. That. Completely that.” Amari said, a bit too quickly as she tried to back towards the door of room. “I’m going to go see about getting in touch with Dr. Kinsey.”

 

With that, Amari was gone and Hancock was left staring at the spot she had been in, wondering if he had just been suckered into an extremely bad agreement.

 

“This will end badly.”

 

Hancock jerked to look at Fahrenheit as she entered the room, having heard everything, of course. “Best option we got, currently, and if Doc Amari vouches for her…” He pushed himself up off the couch. Med-X. Hancock needed that Med-X. His headache was quickly upgrading itself to a full blown migraine. “We’ll keep an eye on this Kinsey when she gets here. If she can help, great. Maybe there’s some sunshine in this world. If she can’t,” Hancock paused to root around in a drawer. Where had he left that syringe?

 

“Out she goes.” Succinct as always. Somehow Fahrenheit managed to impart a world of meaning using three little words and a dark edge to her tone.

 

Hancock found the Med-X, and toyed with it as he considered the possible outcomes of the situation. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what sort of person Dr. Kinsey is.”

  


`~*~`

  


Dr. Kinsey was a lunatic. She was a god-damn fucking lunatic.

 

Two weeks after Dr. Amari had received word that Dr. Kinsey would be headed their way, a group of wounded drifters came running through door into the pleasant little community of Goodneighbor, led by a dog of all things.

 

“Oh god! Someone has to help her!”

 

Hancock had been enjoying a late afternoon Mentat buzz when he’d heard the frantic scream coming from one of the drifters. By the time he got out in the square Dr. Amari and Fahrenheit were somehow on the scene.

 

“Slow down.” It was not a request, or even a command coming from Fahrenheit. It was simply something the man was going to do without question.

 

“And who’s ‘her’?” Hancock asked as he joined the group. The dog, who had been barking trying to get ANYONES attention, padded over to him with a whine and a pleading look.

 

“Dr. Kinsey.” Dr. Amari sighed as she looked over a drifter who was miraculously already bandaged and leaning on a sort of jerry-rigged crutch.

 

The frantic drifter who had been explaining things to Fahrenheit looked at Dr. Amari in amazement. “How did you know? She found us in the ruins yesterday. We’d barely managed to get away from some Raiders, and Dr. Kinsey found us. Or, Dogmeat found us.” The dog punctuated this with another whimper. “More of us than I like to think would be dead if she hadn’t showed up, got us patched up enough to head this way since it was closest. But when when we were heading through the Common--”

 

“Fuck.” Hancock growled.

 

“On it.” Without being told, Fahrenheit was off to gather everyone they could spare who could even half handle a gun. The Boston Common was home to a particularly large and vicious super-mutant ‘affectionately’ named Swan by the locals thanks to his flamboyant armor crafted from the remnants of the bird shaped boats. Swan was a monster out of a nightmare and he was going to kill their one good chance of not dying excruciating deaths.

 

There was a series of explosions, louder than usual, in the distance, and Dogmeat began barking loudly and scratching at the door out of town.

 

The drifter looked toward the sound, somehow paler than they had been a moment before. “She said we should go. She’d hold it off.” They said, voice thick.

 

There was no time for this. In the few seconds it had taken Hancock to retrieve his shotgun, Fahrenheit was back with at least a dozen people. “This woman better be worth it.” He growled at Amari, not waiting for a response and more because he needed to vent his frustration than anything else.

 

Dogmeat was gone like a shot the second the door opened, leading the way towards the periodic explosions. Whoever this Dr. Kinsey was, she had to be out of her fucking mind. True, most people would have said screw the drifters and left them to the mercy of Swan, but there was no way one person could take on that monster on their own and live. If they weren’t quick the doctor was going to die and they may as well burn Goodneighbor to the ground and call it a day.

 

No more explosions now, but Hancock could hear loud, inhuman cries of pain a woman yelling something he couldn’t make out. Hopefully she’d managed to hurt the damn thing and get away, slow it down a bit. They were almost there, if she could hold on a little longer they might be able to pull her ass out of the fire. A little closer and…

 

“Holy shit.”

 

Someone had said it, Hancock wasn’t sure who. No words did justice to what he was now seeing.

 

Dr. Kinsey was a small, bespectacled woman who’s bright blond hair was currently matted with blood. She was younger than Hancock expected, probably in her thirties, and if she hadn’t been clinging to Swan’s back trying to lobotomize the super-mutant with the hunting knife jammed in it’s eye, all the while letting out a string of the most creative curses Hancock had ever heard as the thing tried desperately to throw her off, she may of been cute.

 

As it stood she was just sexy as all hell.

 

“Die! Die you puss oozing boil on the ass of a dysentery riddled fat fucking bastard! Bet you regret clawing your way out of your cunt mother’s gaping crotch maw now, don’tcha?” Dr. Kinsey fucking CACKLED as she tried to scramble Swan’s brain while it desperately tried to buck her off. How had she even even managed to get up there?

 

Hancock glanced around the square quickly, picking up the signs of the battle before they got there. Shrapnel and scorch marks marred the Common, and Swan was sporting a decent number of fresh burns and large wounds. Landmines? She had to have led it over a good number of landmines to slow it down. And then… Hancock got a good look as Swan tried again to throw Kinsey off, failing. The hand that wasn’t on the knife in the mutant’s eye was on another one firmly planted in it’s shoulder. Makeshift handle. Clever. She must have gotten it to fall after hitting a landmine, and climbed up before it could stop her. Kinsey had opted for a precision attack, probably knowing this wasn’t a battle she could win with bullets and brute strength. It was still a crazy plan and the stupidest thing Hancock had ever seen, but at the same time he had to admit there were no pants in the world big enough for the huge fucking brass balls this woman had to have to even attempt this.

 

Now if only they could get a clear shot that wouldn’t probably also hit her…

 

Hancock immediately got his wish in the least pleasing way possible. With one last good thrash Dr. Kinsey lost her grip and was thrown clear across the Boston Common. He didn’t see where she landed, but dull thud was loud and if she had survived she wasn’t going to be in good shape.

 

“Get her!” Hancock order two of his group as the rest of them charged Swan while it was pawing at it’s face, Fahrenheit in front because no one wanted to get in the way of the crazy lady with the flamer.

 

Even with it’s brain half gone, Swan put up one hell of a fight. Fortunately the super-mutant had been swinging around mostly blind and by the time it was a charred pile on the ground with Fahrenheit prying out it’s teeth to keep as trophies (and why the fuck not? It was a kill they could all be proud of.) they had suffered far fewer injuries than Hancock could have ever hoped for. He’d broken into an inhaler of Jet by the time the two guys he’d sent to retrieve Dr. Kinsey made their way back, half carrying the tiny woman as she stubbornly limped along.

 

Standing in front of Hancock, Dr. Kinsey looked up at him with bleary, unfocused eyes, the one lense left in her glasses cracked to the point of uselessness. “I am on a lot of performance enhancing drugs, and I may be bleeding into my brain, so this is going to be an odd question.” Kinsey slurred, somehow still conscious despite the gash on her head, the shrapnel in her leg, and what had to be several broken bones. “Are you, in fact, a fancy ghoul dressed up like one of the founding fathers?”

 

Hancock wasn’t sure if it was the adrenaline, the Jet, or maybe just that he had not been expecting that to come out of her mouth at all, but he barked a laugh. “Sure am, sunshine.”

 

“Sunny!” Kinsey snapped back with a jerk, immediately wincing in pain but not looking like she regretted the action. “Fucking HATE Sunshine. Stupid hippy parents.” She grumbled absently. “I’ma pass out now, probs… dun rob me, mmkay? Mmkay. ‘Preciate it.”

 

“I like her.” Fahrenheit said as Dr. Sunshine Kinsey slumped in the grasp of the men who had been supporting her.

“I think I do too.” Hancock said thoughtfully, turning to look at the red-headed bruiser next to him, the swan boat shoulder guard Swan had been wearing tucked under her arm. “That’s really going to tie your living room together.”

 

“Yes.” Fahrenheit agreed. “Yes it will.”

  


`~*~`

  


Everything was a bright red haze of pain for a while. Sunny wasn’t sure how long she’d been out of it, barely aware of her surroundings as she basked in the blurry, painkiller induced haze that made the sharp sparks of pain easier to handle. She had been able to discern, in her brief moments of lucidity, that she was in some sort of make-shift clinic (likely the one she requested to be set up for her arrival) on a floor above or maybe below other patients. There had been people about on occasion. One of the people had definitely been Dr. Amari, but the other…

 

Sunny slowly opened her eyes, since keeping them closed wasn’t helping her focus. Something about red. She thought she remembered a red coat.

 

“Fancy Man.” Sunny murmured to herself, pushing herself up off the cot she had been lying on with a hiss of pain. A tug at her arm directed her blurry vision to the IV feeding into her, and Sunny grimaced. She must of been out of it longer than she thought if she needed that, or maybe that’s just how banged up she had gotten. Sunny was going to need her glasses, though, if she was going to figure any of this out. Yes, being able to reliably see would be just dandy right about now.

 

Sunny stiffly swung her feet over the side of the bed, boots clomping heavily on the floor. Shortly after, Dr. Amari came rushing up the stairs.

 

“No, Sunny--!” Amari was trying to push Sunny back onto the bed with all the authority she could muster, but Sunny swatted her hands away with more force than she had really intended, maybe still a little hazy from all the drugs that had to be running through her.

 

“Where’s my shit?” Sunny croaked, feeling around the bed for her bag, hoping her rescuers had found where she stashed it. A caravan should be arriving, or should have arrived, with her supplies to treat the cholera outbreak, but besides her glasses she had a copy of her notes and some handy tools she could use stashed in her traveling kit.

 

Sunny’s left foot struck the large hiker’s backpack she normally carried with her foot, and grumbling, pulled it over to her.

 

Amari continued, but Sunshine was mostly ignoring her. “You have a concussion, three broken ribs, multiple lacerations--”

 

Fishing her spare glasses out of her bag, Sunny put them on and looked herself over. She was covered in bruises, bandages, and a variety of different shaped cuts. “Neat.” Sunny murmured, reaching over to remove the IV from her arm. “My caravan here yet? Doesn’t matter. I have a decent load of vaccines with me. I’m going to need to see everyone that hasn’t yet presented with symptoms.”

 

“Dr. Kinsey!” Amari cried in exasperation, throwing her hands in the air. “You need rest! I can handle the cases that occur while you recover from your injuries.”

 

“And I’m going to need to see your files. I trust your blood work, but I’m still going to want to draw new samples to run through my equipment when it gets here.” Sunny tested the strength of her legs, one knee definitely holding up better than the other one. “Help me hobble my way over to the worst cases. I want to get started kicking this things ass as soon as possible.

 

Dr. Amari sighed, giving in and going over to help Sunny walk. You couldn’t fight the tide, the changing of the seasons, or the will of Sunshine Kinsey. “The mayor will want to see you.” Amari said as Sunny leaned on her. “Your dog has rather taken to him. The first few days you were out, it wouldn’t leave your side. I knew you’d be alright when it finally left with the mayor.”

 

“Dogmeat. He.” Sunny corrected absent mindedly, snapping up her bag as they passed it, sparks of pain flashing in front of her eyes. “Not really my dog. Met him on the way here, and I guess he liked me.” As far as Sunny was concerned, Dogmeat had better judgment than most people she had met. He’d taken a shine to her, helped her cut her travel time significantly by avoiding raiders and ferals, then lead her to that group of drifters that had been attacked. “The group I was with, they get here okay?”

 

“Yes.” Amari said, carefully helping Sunny down the stairs. She must be on the top floor, since the stairs only go down. It looks like the building used to be offices pre-war. There isn’t much of a draft, and Sunny doesn’t smell rot, so she’s already working with more than she usually does. She doesn’t mind a challenge, but it’s nice when the people she’s helping take the job as seriously as she does. “I don’t know what you were thinking attacking that thing from the pond.” It was a disparaging remark, but Sunny can’t help but grin.

 

“Well fuck, Amari, I was thinking no matter how big he is, he’s pretty useless if I scrambled his brains just right.” It hurt even to smile, but fuck it. She was used to pain. All pain meant was that she was alive and she could tell where she was healing.

 

“You’re reckless.” The other doctor sighed, but didn’t chide Sunny further. It would have done no good, anyway. The whole thing was over with and everyone had gotten out alive.

 

Done with the stairs now, Sunny leaned against the wall next to her, her lips pursed her mind whirring. Half a dozen people were spread on several mattresses and old cots around the room. A volunteer was checking an IV bag, and Sunny could hear groaning from somewhere nearby. Alright, not bad, if this was all she had to deal with at the moment.

 

“We’ve lost fifteen since we last spoke.” Amari informed Sunny, her tone pinched. “We’ve quarantined the worst cases in a separate building.”

 

“Well shit.” Sunny stiffly crossed her arms, her eyes sinking closed. She needed to cut the head off this thing. She needed to get set up and start seeing patients. She needed more information. She needed… “I’ma need a paper and pencil. Gotta send a note to your mayor.”


End file.
